Just like a Tattoo, I'll Always Have You (Oneshot)
by latias-vibes
Summary: All Cynthia wanted was a quiet evening of reading. Instead, she is interrupted when an old friend stops by her apartment with the hope of reconnecting. Darksteelshipping oneshot!


**I know my Darksteelshipping stories always involve Steven giving up his champion position but I promise next time to try something different. Enjoy this oneshot.**

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Cynthia was in her small apartment reading a book on the History of Mega Evolution, on a Friday evening. It was a very interesting subject to her since Mega Evolution was still a relatively new discovery, but yet it traced back for centuries. It wasn't until her doorbell rang that she came back to reality. She hadn't been expecting anyone that night. It had been a long week at the league and all she had been looking forward to was a quiet night of reading. Cynthia sighed as she put her book down and went to the door. She looked through the peephole and her eyes widened when she saw who it was. She swung open the door and stared.

There was the blue haired man that she hadn't seen in eight months smirking and leaning against the hallway wall, with two plastic bags in his hand. "Hey, beautiful, miss me?"

Cynthia couldn't control herself and fed his ego by wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him close. This warmth was something she had missed so much since his departure. Before Steven resigned, the two had been very close friends… sometimes even more, although they never defined it. When he left without a word she really felt betrayed. Cynthia frowned and hit his chest repeatedly. "You dick! Where have you been?"

Steven sighed contently at the embrace before putting the bags down on the floor and pulling her close. When she started to hit him, he flinched. "I know I am but hey I'm here now and I want to make it up to you," he said before brushing a hair out of her face and gazing down at her. He was very bad at settling down which was part of the reason he left the league. However, throughout his journey to find himself, something kept bringing his mind to her. He had respected their bond over the years too much to ever try and mess it up. However, during his time alone, he kept wishing he had.

Cynthia stared back at him and tried not to blush when his hand touched her face. He had caused her a lot of pain when he vanished without telling her, but based on what she could get Wallace to tell her, Steven really needed to leave the league. That didn't mean not telling her if he was alright was acceptable. Cynthia wasn't going to let him win her over that easily. He had really let her down this time. She stepped away from him and opened the door. "Come in," she said nonchalantly before entering her house.

Steven stood for a moment before grabbing his bags. "I brought vodka and takeout," he said while entering the familiar home. Not much had changed. The place was always pretty messy but he really didn't mind. He placed the bags on her coffee table, before taking his coat off.

Cynthia stared at his arm for a minute. She couldn't believe what she was seeing or that this was the same person. "Steven Stone… did you get a tattoo?"

Steven chuckled. "I may have been a little too inspired when I went to Alto Mare," he said holding his arm out so she could see the Soul Dew he had on his shoulder.

Cynthia stepped closer to him and observed it. She couldn't help but laugh in his face. "I can't believe you of all people got a tattoo, I'm not surprised at all that it's of a stone!"

Steven pouted and crossed his arms when she teased him. He rolled his eyes and smirked at her. "I had it done because I met them," Steven said proudly. He knew she would be interested because of her research in Legendary Pokemon. After it happened, she was the only one he wanted to tell. It was a life-changing moment for him and he was glad he could finally share the story with her.

Cynthia's eyes widened and immediately stopped laughing. "You did?! You have to tell me all about it! "

The two sat on her couch as he told her about his experience in Alto Mare with the legendary duo. It felt like old times as they ate takeout and got drunk together.

"Cynthia, tell me what you've been up to," Steven sighed contently. He was interested in her life and what she had been up to since he left. "All we've been talking about is me."

Cynthia shrugged. "I mean it's been the same old league. I've been training more than ever. You know how things are…" She paused for a few moments. It was definitely the alcohol that made her tell him what she said next. "I went on a date with Alder.

Everything froze in Steven's mind. His heart ached in a way he could never have imagined. This hurt him more than any physical damage Cynthia could have done to him. He was completely speechless.

 _Flashback to a year-and-a-half ago_

 _Steven poured himself another drink as he sat on the hotel bed, with a smirk on his face while the blonde stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. "Cynthia, I've already told you I won't battle you in here."_

 _Cynthia, who was already pretty tipsy, huffed. "Why not? We are champions this is what we do!"_

 _Steven chuckled and took a sip from his glass before standing in front of her. "Cynthia for the hundredth time, I'll go outside and battle but there is no room to do it in this hotel room."_

 _Cynthia rolled her eyes. "It's our duty to do it here. I just know it!"_

 _Steven couldn't but grin. He cherished these moments after the champion meetings with her. Spending time with the intelligent fun woman made the uncomfortable gatherings worth it. "I don't think the hotel staff would agree."_

 _Cynthia shook her head and put her arms around his neck. "Screw them, then," she joked staring into his grey eyes. She always had the most fun when she was with him. It felt like she could finally let go and be herself._

 _A knock on the door distracted Cynthia from the serene moment. She offered Steve a soft smile before pulling away and going to the door. Steven stayed back and out of sight from the door._

 _When she opened the door, there was Alder leaning against his hand on the doorway. "Hello, Cynthia." Steven cringed at the voice and felt his fist clench. This guy never let up. However, Steven wouldn't let Alder get too far._

 _Cynthia sighed. "Hello, Alder. What is it that you want?" she muttered crossing her arms._

 _Alder took a step closer to her. "I thought we could share each other's company over a few glasses of wine? I'd hate to have you here alone. Come on Cynthia. Just a few drinks. It'll be a good time."_

 _Cynthia's jaw tensed. This happened every single time Alder saw her and frankly, it really pissed her off. He always made her feel like she was obligated to go, even though she really didn't want to. Cynthia wasn't going to give him what he wanted._

 _Before Cynthia could rip Alder a new one Steven emerged from around the corner wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. "Cynthia! There you are," He said trying not to smirk as he came moved closer to the door way. "I was wondering where you went." He wrapped his arms around Cynthia's waist, from behind and rested his head on her shoulder. He offered a fake smile to Alder as if he hadn't already known the Unova man was there. "Oh Alder, I didn't realize you came over. What can we do for you, on this fine evening?"_

 _Cynthia tried to suppress her laugh the whole time. Her bond with Steven was unlike any other. They both knew Cynthia could handle Alder just fine but that didn't mean she could have all the fun messing with the guy._

 _Alder's eyes were wide when it appeared like something was clearly going on between Steven and Cynthia. "Um well, I was just asking Cynthia a question. I think I got my answer so I'll um go now," he said before turning around to walk away._

 _Cynthia and Steven smirked at each other before closing the door and bursting out laughing. Cynthia turned to face him. "You timed that perfectly."_

 _Steven threw his head back and laughed in a way that only happened when he was with her. "The poor guy looked so uncomfortable."_

 _Cynthia's laugh slowly stopped when she realized that Steven was standing there only wearing a towel. This always happened. The tension and spark always brought them close. They had slept together several times. However, they always went back to being friends the next morning. Although, Cynthia hoped one day to be more than that to him. It seemed impossible with a guy like Steven. She didn't care though because the excitement he brought her made it worth the wait. She pressed their lips together fiercely and wrapped her arm around him._

 _Steven smiled against her lips before kissing her back. It was nights like these that made him actually enjoy being the Champion._

Cynthia furrowed her eyebrows and sighed as she watched him. "You left Steven… I had no clue what was going on with you. We were best friends and you didn't even call me to tell me what was going on!"

Steven stared at his feet. "I-I was scared," his voice cracked. "I was giving up everything and it terrified me to face those who I had become close with through my status. I needed to go. I was sick of the constant battling. I wanted to explore but that meant leaving everyone I'd cared about and I didn't want to disappoint them."

Cynthia felt tears in her eyes. She had waited a long time to see him again and scold him for not reaching out to her. He really put her through hell. "So instead of facing your fears, you ran from them? The people that cared about you! I really shouldn't have been surprised. You always run especially when it comes to us. You never wanted to actually make us a thing because you were always too scared!"

Steven looked back up at her with tears falling down his face. The truth stung. "Y-You were the last person I wanted to hurt. It's just that we met through being champions… sure it wasn't what defined our friendship but was a major part. I couldn't face the thought of you being disappointed in me. Like I was a quitter or that I was abandoning you to deal with the rest of the champions on your own." He realized that he ended up abandoning her anyway by leaving without a trace. He started crying harder at how awful he had been.

Cynthia felt tears fall down her face as she watched Steven break down in front of her. She had never seen him this distraught before. Although she was mad, it really hurt her to seem him this way.

Steven ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes for a second. Tears ran faster down his face as he opened his eyes. "B-But you're right about me being scared of telling you how I felt. M-My biggest regret was never telling you how much you mean to me. How much I loved spending time with you and how you make me feel like fireworks are exploding inside of me whenever we touch… I regret running from a relationship with the most incredible woman I have ever met… The person I love most." He looked back down at his feet feeling defeated. He had lost his chance with her.

Cynthia's jaw dropped slightly. After all this time, she couldn't deny that she still felt her heart explode whenever he was around. Seeing him again brought all those feelings back. "Th-The date went badly," she finally said.

Steven froze and furrowed his eyebrows. He stared back up at her with a puzzled expression. "What?"

Cynthia bit her lip. "Alder only talked about himself, the entire time. I drank so much wine that night. It was so uncomfortable. He tried to get me to go back to his place afterwards and I just told him it was a lost cause." She finally smiled softly. "I understand why you left. Being the Hoenn Champion was never really your thing. You always were destined for exploring. You have to realize though, I would have understood why you needed to go. I can handle the rest of the champions without you. I just wanted to be there for you, and make sure you were okay." Cynthia placed a gentle hand on his cheek and brushed away a tear. "The whole time I was on the date I was wishing it was you. I missed our deep conversations and the way you made me laugh… but most of all I missed you. You are really going to have to make this up to me," she teased softly. "But I love you too."

Steven's eyes widened at the words. It had been what he needed to hear. He hadn't lost the most important thing in his life. It was actually the exact opposite. Steven had gained her love. He pulled her into a tight hug feeling himself let out a sigh of relief as her arms went around his back. "I'll make this up to you. I promise," he whispered.

Cynthia closed her eyes and buried her face in his neck. It felt like there was a huge weight off her shoulders. They'd finally made their bond official. She pulled her head up, after a few moments and kissed him softly but passionately.

Steven ran a hand down her back as he kissed her back. This moment was unlike any other. After a few moments, he pulled away slightly to breathe but kept their foreheads pressed together. "I think I'll stay in Sinnoh for a bit. There's a lot I'd like to explore here. Although, I have already seen the most beautiful sight in Sinnoh," Steven said with a charming smirk.

Cynthia rolled her eyes at his cheesy comment but grinned back. "Compliments won't get you off the hook that easy," she teased before kissing him again. "I still can't believe you got a tattoo of a stone."

Steven pouted and rolled his eyes. She was never going to let this go and frankly, he didn't mind as long as they were together.


End file.
